CounterPart

26 | What have I done?

Four years ago...

He was sitting on the cold stone floor of his office, a pile of papers that needed marking on one side, and a half eaten cow on the other. One of the benefits of being a teacher: free food, in your office! What more could you need?

Clay sighed, pushing the rest of the papers to the side and laying down his quill. Fresh air: THAT was what he needed. Clay sauntered to the edge of his balcony, overlooking the valley of Jade Mountain.

It was over: Darkstalker was gone. Everything felt great now, as if it came with a side of meat and sunlight.

He just wished he could have saved them. Carnelian. All the prisoners of the SandWing war. Everyone.

There was probably only one dragon who had more blood on her talons, and she was somewhere around these grounds. Actually, no. She was right there.

Yes. Peril was sitting in her usual spot by the lake - the grass had a little charred circle that no-one approached, except her few friends.

Clay smiled. He was so happy she was starting to fit in here. And he hoped she wouldn't change herself - she could change how she felt about murder and killing and wham blammy fire explosions, but he hoped she never changed HERSELF.

He'd been staring at her spot so long, he barely noticed how their eyes connected, and washed out blue met amber. Something flew between them, and in a sudden decision he glided down from his balcony towards the lake, where she was looking almost hopefully at him.

"Hey, Peril", he smiled kindly, with a little bit of extra sweetness.

"Clay! I mean, Clay. Hello, Clay. Thanks for um - coming? Down? To see the lake?"

Clay's smile stretched across his snout. Everything about Peril - her way of speaking, the strange head tilts in his direction and the way her eyes lit up every time he spoke - he wouldn't change anything about her for the world. Eeeeexcept for maybe the whole killer thing. And maybe make everyone a little more open-minded towards her. Because she would change. He would be there for her all the way, though she didn't know that.

"No, I came to see you." said Clay calmly.

"Oh! Me? Am I okay?"

"Well, that's kind of what I was going to ask you, but we'll do it this way. You look a little lonely." He explained, trying to sound as kind as possible.

"ME? Lonely! NEVER." She declared, very unconvincingly.

"So, I'll just go back up to my office, then?" He said lightly.

"Nope! No! That's okay! I mean - you can stay here if you want! To watch the lake. With me. Or go to your office, because I DO NOT MIND. NOT ONE BIT. It's a free world."

Clay failed to stop himself from laughing. A joyous, enjoy-the-moment laugh. Peril only stared at him quizzically. She asked him why he was laughing, and he flopped down by the lake, all of a sudden admiring how the rising sun cast sparkles across the surface.

"You're funny." said Clay simply.

She hadn't believed that at first. He had to convince her, with a few more conversations and assuring wing touches, before the shred if self worth implanted itself in her mind.

"You really think I'm worth hanging out with?" She asked, after they went flying and hunted a few lone stags together, and came to rest on the crag overlooking the lake. Tails entwined in what he thought was an overly friendly gesture, he gazed right into her blue eyes.